, 1887-02-03
RESULTS OF FALSE gDucArloN
The Tendency TO Make Idlcrs Instead Of
Workers-Girls' NOTIONS.


The Tendency to Make Idlers Instead Of
workers-Glris' Notions.
Neither the boys nor the girls taught II
won't say cducated) in the public schools
want to take hold of actual work for a
living. Very few of the boys are willing
to learn trades, especially il they are kept
nj school long enough to get notions about
being gentlemen" Nearly all expect To
get into some light occupation, something
respectable, ~ and not requiring them to
soil their hands or wear workshop cloth.
ing. They are willing to he bookkeepers,
Or statesmen, or general clerks, . or to he
taken into banks, and many OF them have
an eye on brokers offices in Wall street
and many more on the offices the poll
ticians are always fighting for. But they
don't want TO turn to and learn to be car
pentors, or blacksmiths, or plumbers, or
bricklayers, or stonecutters, or anything
else that means a steady days work with
the hands.
This is partly why New York is swarm
ing to-day with fairly taught young men
looking for situations rs clerks or book
keepers or rs conductors ON the street
cars. or Us canvassers OF all sorts, md I'M
able to get them. These thousands wcrs
produced, largely by n false education,
twenty to thirty years ago, and we ar,
lA'"AhAAiAk VAit Ah'AA9etAll0s ltliilN lli'i
thousands, to-day to replace them when
they 20. AS for the girls, does any one
suppose that a public school girl would
think Of going out to domestic service Good
house servants can get from S1j to $50 per
month, with good food and comfortable
homes, but the public school girl would
rather die first than take employment
of that kin If actually obliged to earn
her living she will become II 'saleslady,"
or learn soIne light trade, or do copying
or iypewriting or telegraphing, neither Of
which perhaps will pay her as well in the
long run; but hire out In n family She will
not under any circumstances.
II her parents ARE able TO keep her nj
home this girl l. often IA nuisance and
burden. She does not want to do any OF
the household work, but she does want to
he well dressed and to go out a great deal.
TIL chances are that She wants n piano,
too. While going to school she heard
other girls talk of having pianos, and per
haps some OF her friends have these in
struments OF torture, and she must also
have one. So, may be, u piano is hired
father or mother could not possibly buy
one Mt 50 or 80 "A month, and then the
''parlOrs must he ~refurnished, the did
things look so shabby beside the piano.
and II carpet and some new furniture are
bought on the installment plan, which
means double price, and SO 1t goes on till
the hard working father and slave OF n
mother are at their wits end to keep the
pot boiling.
| do not charge all this to the public
schools, but they uaIlAdNlh5dily re-
srHsssoiv Tor n large part OF 1t, any way.
Tn plain public schools of thirty years
ago were in the main an excellent institu-
ton, but the fancy public schools Of to-day
are in some respects "A positive evil In
stead Of fitting our youth to earn II
living" they unfit them to "a large extent,
and tend to make idlers in place II work
ers.-New York Cor, Detroit Free Press.